The Pueblo
The origins of Los Angeles dates back to September of 1781 when the Spanish Governor of California, Felipe de Neve, founded the city under the name of “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles” (The village of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.) Governor de Neve needed to establish a pueblo along the Rio de Porciuncula (the Los Angeles River) for the purpose of reaffirming Spain’s claim over the territory as Russia and Britain began to encroach on the territory.[1] Developing a pueblo at that location would also help keep Spain’s military troops have access to supplies and food, instead of having to be supplied by ships. Los Angeles was located near enough to the Rio de Porciuncula (the Los Angeles River) to be able to access its waters and high enough above the river to be protected from the winter floods. With the authority of Spain’s King Carlos III, Governor de Neve’s proposal to establish a pueblo was approved.
Once approved, Governor de Neve wasted no time and began to plan the lay out of the pueblo. His plans are considered the first plan, and the beginning of Los Angeles. As he was planning for the pueblo, he had to abide to the Spanish Laws of the Indies – a series of guidelines for planning and developing cities in New Spain. These Laws are regarded to be the first urban planning manual to reach the Americas.[2] The Laws of the Indies were royal ordinances that required that a pueblo had to be drawn before any development took place, required a grid or checkerboard street layout, had to contain a fortified church, and had to have designated locations where there would be pastures, royal lands, and residential precincts.[3] The pueblo covered thirty-six square miles and was comprised of a village that had housing lots that faced a common plaza, with planting fields and pastures beyond the residential precincts (Figure 1). The plaza was 200 by 300 feet and had its corners facing the cardinal points with the streets running perpendicularly from each of its four sides.[4]
The origins of Los Angeles dates back to September of 1781 when the Spanish Governor of California, Felipe de Neve, founded the city under the name of “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles” (The village of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.) Governor de Neve needed to establish a pueblo along the Rio de Porciuncula (the Los Angeles River) for the purpose of reaffirming Spain’s claim over the territory as Russia and Britain began to encroach on the territory.[1] Developing a pueblo at that location would also help keep Spain’s military troops have access to supplies and food, instead of having to be supplied by ships. Los Angeles was located near enough to the Rio de Porciuncula (the Los Angeles River) to be able to access its waters and high enough above the river to be protected from the winter floods. With the authority of Spain’s King Carlos III, Governor de Neve’s proposal to establish a pueblo was approved.
Once approved, Governor de Neve wasted no time and began to plan the lay out of the pueblo. His plans are considered the first plan, and the beginning of Los Angeles. As he was planning for the pueblo, he had to abide to the Spanish Laws of the Indies – a series of guidelines for planning and developing cities in New Spain. These Laws are regarded to be the first urban planning manual to reach the Americas.[2] The Laws of the Indies were royal ordinances that required that a pueblo had to be drawn before any development took place, required a grid or checkerboard street layout, had to contain a fortified church, and had to have designated locations where there would be pastures, royal lands, and residential precincts.[3] The pueblo covered thirty-six square miles and was comprised of a village that had housing lots that faced a common plaza, with planting fields and pastures beyond the residential precincts (Figure 1). The plaza was 200 by 300 feet and had its corners facing the cardinal points with the streets running perpendicularly from each of its four sides.[4]
From the Pueblo to the City of Los Angeles
Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles became a Mexican city in 1821, following the Mexican War of Independence, and then a city in the U.S. territory in 1848 as a result of the Mexican-American war and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1849, Lieutenant E.O.C. Ord of the Army Engineers sought to bring about more order and progress to the planning of the Pueblo so he surveyed the area and created a map of it (Figure 2). Throughout the 1850s, municipal officials sought to use the accurate maps of the Pueblo to sell off some of the city’s lands. These plans were crucial to the next phase of land scale and development, and generative of the city’s urbanization pattern over the next century.[5] This orientation of new property lines to compass points brought about a break with the diagonal orientation of the original pueblo pattern and created a contrast that is still evident today on the western edge of downtown where the two converge.[6] These surveys and new street plans were beginning to replace the old plans for the Pueblo, however subsequent years did not have major planning ventures and little thought was actually given to preparing a plan for the physical growth of Los Angeles until after the turn of the century [7] The Pueblo was now officially the City of Los Angeles under the American system.
Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles became a Mexican city in 1821, following the Mexican War of Independence, and then a city in the U.S. territory in 1848 as a result of the Mexican-American war and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1849, Lieutenant E.O.C. Ord of the Army Engineers sought to bring about more order and progress to the planning of the Pueblo so he surveyed the area and created a map of it (Figure 2). Throughout the 1850s, municipal officials sought to use the accurate maps of the Pueblo to sell off some of the city’s lands. These plans were crucial to the next phase of land scale and development, and generative of the city’s urbanization pattern over the next century.[5] This orientation of new property lines to compass points brought about a break with the diagonal orientation of the original pueblo pattern and created a contrast that is still evident today on the western edge of downtown where the two converge.[6] These surveys and new street plans were beginning to replace the old plans for the Pueblo, however subsequent years did not have major planning ventures and little thought was actually given to preparing a plan for the physical growth of Los Angeles until after the turn of the century [7] The Pueblo was now officially the City of Los Angeles under the American system.
[1] The Settlement of Los Angeles. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from
http://www.laalmanac.com/history/hi03b.htm
[2] Laws That Shaped L.A.: Why Los Angeles Isn't a Beach Town. (n.d.). Retrieved February
24, 2015, from http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/laws-that-shaped-la/the-
laws-that-shaped-la-laws-of-the-indies.html
[3] Crouch, D. P., & Mundigo, A. I. (1977). The City Planning Ordinances of the Laws of the
Indies Revisited: Part II: Three American Cities. Town Planning Review, 48(4), 397.
[4] Baugh, R. E. (1942). Site of Early Los Angeles. Economic Geography Vol 18, No. 1, 87-96.
[6] Fogelson, R. (1993). The Fragmented Metropolis Los Angeles, 1850-1930. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
[6] Sloane, D. (2012). Planning Los Angeles. Chicago: American Planning Association.
[7] Los Angeles (Calif.). Dept. of City Planning. Administrative Services Division. (1964). City
Planning in Los Angeles: A History. Dept. of City Planning, Administrative Services
Division.
IMAGES:
[Figure 1] retrieved from: http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/the-first-map-of-los-angeles.html
[Figure 2] retrieved from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/341640321702491958/
http://www.laalmanac.com/history/hi03b.htm
[2] Laws That Shaped L.A.: Why Los Angeles Isn't a Beach Town. (n.d.). Retrieved February
24, 2015, from http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/laws-that-shaped-la/the-
laws-that-shaped-la-laws-of-the-indies.html
[3] Crouch, D. P., & Mundigo, A. I. (1977). The City Planning Ordinances of the Laws of the
Indies Revisited: Part II: Three American Cities. Town Planning Review, 48(4), 397.
[4] Baugh, R. E. (1942). Site of Early Los Angeles. Economic Geography Vol 18, No. 1, 87-96.
[6] Fogelson, R. (1993). The Fragmented Metropolis Los Angeles, 1850-1930. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
[6] Sloane, D. (2012). Planning Los Angeles. Chicago: American Planning Association.
[7] Los Angeles (Calif.). Dept. of City Planning. Administrative Services Division. (1964). City
Planning in Los Angeles: A History. Dept. of City Planning, Administrative Services
Division.
IMAGES:
[Figure 1] retrieved from: http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/the-first-map-of-los-angeles.html
[Figure 2] retrieved from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/341640321702491958/